Pivoted jaw wrench actuated by torque-applying extension handle



SEM @y WW.. R C, KNECHT 2,483,024;-

Y PIVOTED JAW WRENCH ACTUATED BY ToRQUE-APPLYING A EXTENSION HANDLE Filed sept. 1, 1944 INVENTOR.

Patented Sept. 6, 1949 uNrr so stares@ PI-uorrEDt JAW: WRENCH. AozlUAmEne. 'noRQUE-APPLYING EX'nENsIoN am' DLE.-

Robert e: Knecht, olevelanaehiu v f Applieationiseptember 1, 1944ESerial-rNoz 552,258

My invention relates to. tools-in generalland". more particularly to ai washing. machinewrench.. to loosen .the agitator post of awashingmachine..

Washing machinefrepairmen are ofttimes.A ree-- quiredlto remove the Aagitator post, of. a. washing.. machineffor4 repairs. This post istightly threaded. intofa member from 'whichv it. must be disengaged: for.- repaiif. work. As. canbe readily'understood, a.. repair-man cannot exert a great.v amount of;A twisting force :to fthe post by reachingl into theftub.. withfan ordinary pipe wrench.

Therefore, an object of my invention( is ftdpro-Y vide a Wrench to encompass thez agitator pestbf. azwashingL machine and .engagethe postlby meansv ofzjaws pivotably.' mounted on the wrench;

Another object of my invention isto provide,l a; wrench. to encompass the, agitator post ofv awash? ingunachine and engage: the post by means.` ofL jaws pivotably mounted onfthe` wrench and-.hau` ingrv an extension: handle positionedabove the wrench. for transferringfV a. force.- applied to; thehandle` extericir. of the. washing; machineff tub; to: thea wrench gripping: the, agitator postYH inside;` the tub;

Anotherxobjectrof my inventionlis.` to. providaai wrenchxto encompasstthe: agitator;Y post-.ot aiwaslfn-y ing;r machine, and. engage thef postxby. meansf of; j aws pivotablymountedon .the wrench with leverarms; integrallyf connected to: the jaws adjacent the -arear` ofi thez jaws. which' is:V disposedto Contact; the post.

Another.' object. of. my invention; is` toziprovide' ai wrenchito .encompasstheagitator;post.of azwasha ingr machine` and engage. the'A postibynmeansfo j.anys1wpivotably--- mounted ionfthe wrench with lever: arms.- integrallyconnected to.- the` jawszadjacent. the areaofithexjaws whichis. disposedatoacontactz theA post, and. having adjustable.;` lockingrmeans. to hold the jaws in rm contact-Lwith1theepost'.

Qther.- objectsV and av fuller understanding. of my,l invention may be hadby referring jtoatheY iolh lowing description and claimsgtaken in; conjuncf tion withthe accompanying. drawing; in which:

Figure 1 isa planview of my improved wash inggmachine wrench with'the jaws thereof locked: inlcontact with anv agitator: post;I Y

Eligurev 2 isV aside. elevational view.- ofi my.- im.- proved wrenohwithgan extension handleens'agingj thewrench and extending. above thewrench;I

Figuref is a crossfsectional View ottheadjust-s able locle means taken along the line 3P-3e. ot Figure 1.

With. reference to4 Figure.V 1 Ir illustrate. a. type.A ot Wrench. conforming to, my invention... The- Wrench. comprises. an. annular member, disposed am tojencomp'ass the. agitator` post I4" of'a washingA machine.. 'Iwo` j aws. I'2. are. illustrated for engaging thepost M.' The. jaws. I2'. are` pivotably' mounted,4 at diametrically.. opposite YSides of the annular member, by. means of.. pvot. bolt I5',. whereby, the jaws.. l21'mayyswihginwardly of` the annular ..inember to.- engagelthe. post I4'. With reference to.. Figure. 2,- it. will be. seen that" the annular` member, is: illustrated asv comprising two` annular. rings, It. and. 'I.I.', which are. rigidly connected; to one.fanotl'i"er. by, spacer bl'ocks I 9.1 AL rigid connections is maintained/between the annular rings. Il and ILIg. and' I-f illustrate. a. rit/etA 22%' to*l rigidly. connectthefringsto. the spacer blcksv I9, althoughother. fastening Adevicesmay beuseol rllhe form. of the;v jaws. I2 is: best illustrated in FigureA Llandit` caribe. seen. that. leverarms I6' are integrallyY attached. thereto and, extendoutwardly from, the annular. rings.. The lever. arms IIi.preferably` are secured. to thev jaw. members. I2 adjacent. to the. area whiehzv is =di`sposedlto engage. the posts. l

Asliclable. blocl`2l2 for eachjaw, as illustrated, in cross-.section in.Fig ure.3, 4is slidable. mounted betweenthe.. annular rings.. ID; and I. I. andv isprovided with;athreaded` opening. therethrough. A set screw or bolt 23 is threadedthrough theopening. in the blockv 2?; and. mayr be tightened up againstthe. jaw- I2. with whichittis cooperating.. tov provide. a. constant pressure uponv the. jawsV and hold. itinlcontact.. withthe. post IA. In Figure .1, l'. illustrate theejaws I2.fas,-each. having. a. series ofv teeth-..2,Il-on. the. faceot the jaw that engages the post I4 to,provide-alnonrslipping.engagement. therebetween., I alsoillustrate aseries. of. notches. 2 I Aonthe:oppositefsidesf the jawtoprovide con-- venient.-Y contact surfaces forl theY setscrews 2.3Y However, the notches-g2 Ila-re notnecessarilyfindisf pensable and.- may: be. omitted( if. desired. In. theA case that the notches-Ziare-omitted; the bolts-23f arl-then disposed to.4 contact,the-baok.ofrthe jaw. I2.- at-.any point-wherethe.-jawy IZ swings-inwardly. of, th e. annular. rings.- Ill and. I Irfan enough-tocadmit the. block 2.2.n to; slidebetween the .jaw and the rings.. f r

Withreference tofFigure,2;Iaillustratea-handle referredto generally. by theereference. character, i3.. Thefhandle. I3 is..used.tol providaaniextenf sion.` grinon.. the.. lever. armsl I@ whereby`v service; menusing the Wrench need. nottreach downrintoithe tub of the Washing machine or. other enclos ureswhere the .wrench istoibeused.` rIhis handle I.3.. comprises. two, upright .A extension arms. L1 to. which; a banV I8..may. be, securedlby. any. suitable. Ineens suchasbj?.welding;` Therree ends oflthe,

into engagement with the post I4 by respectively Y,

moving the slidable blocks 22 into a convenient position, and tightening the set screws 23 tightly against convenient notches 2I until the teeth 20 of the jaws I2 are pressing tightly against the post I4. It will be noticed, that with the wrench in the position as illustrated, and looking downwardly upon the post I4, in Figure 1, the wrench.

is in position to turn the post I4 in a clockwise direction to tighten same, the post being provided with right hand threads. However, to loosen the post I4, the wrench may be turned upside down from the position illustrated, and then will be in position to turn the post I4 in a counterclockwise direction, which is the direction for loosening a post equipped with right-hand threads.

To use the handle I3, the forked ends of the arms Il are extended over the lever arms I6 of the jaws I2 with the cross-bar I8 positioned above the wrench as illustrated in Figure 2. The post i4 is then turned by exerting a rotary force upon the bar I8 in the direction in which it is desired that the shaft should turn. The greater the rotary force which is exerted to turn the post, the greater the pressure of the jaws against the post to prevent the jaws from loosening their grip and slipping. My wrench is sturdy and will withstand an extraordinary amount of turning to unloosen a hard set post.

Although I have described my invention with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A wrench to turn the agitator post of a washing machine, said wrench comprising an annular member disposed to encompass said post, said annular member comprising two annular rings and spacer means therebetween for spacing the annular rings from one another, at least a rst and a second jaw member for engaging the post, pivotal mounting means located between the annular rings at opposite sides of the annular member to pivotably mount the jaws, and jaws being pivotably mounted at one end thereof and being disposed to swing inwardly of the annular member to engage the opposite sides of said post, and lever arms connected to said jaws a distance away from said pivotal mounting means whereby force applied to said lever arms presses the jaws into engagement with said agitator post, and lock means for pressing the said jaws into constant engagement with said post, each lock means comprising a slidable mounted block member between said rings, said block member having a threaded opening therethrough and a threadable set screw to threadably engage said threaded opening and contact said jaws.

2. A wrench to turn the agitator post of a washing machine, said wrench comprising an annular member disposed to encompass said post, at least a first and a second jaw member each having post engaging teeth for engaging said post and having lock-engaging notches on the opposite side thereof, pivotal mounting means at opposite sides of the annular member to pivotably mount the jaws, said jaws being disposed to swing inwardly of the annular member and engage opposite sides of said post, and lever arms connected to said jaws and extending outwardly from said annular member, whereby force applied to said extension arms presses the jaws into engagement with said agitator post, and lock means for pressing the at least a rst and second jaw into constant engagement with said post, each lock means comprising a block member slidably carried by said annular member, said block member having a threaded opening therethrough, and a threadable element l to threadably'engage said threaded opening and contact said lock engaging notches on said jaws.

3. A wrench to turn the agitator post of a washing machine, said wrench comprising an annular member disposed to encompass said post, said annular member comprising two annular rings and spacer means therebetween for spacing the annular rings from one another, at least a rst and a second arcuate jaw member, each having a pivot end and a tip end with a central portion therebetween, said jaw members being capable of gripping many diierent diameter posts with at least the central portion of the jaws'engaging the posts, pivotal mounting means located between the annular rings at opposite sides'of theannular member to pivotably mount the pivot ends of the jaws, said jaws being disposed to swing inwardly of the annular member to grip said opposite sides of said post, and lever arms connected to said jaws adjacent said central portion of the jaws, whereby force applied to said extension arms in the plane of the swing of the jaws presses the jaws into engagement with said agitator post.

4. A wrench to turn a turnable element, said wrench comprising an annular member disposed to encompass said turnable element, said annular member comprising two annular rings and spacer means therebetween for spacing the annular rings from one another, at least a first and a second jaw member for gripping the turnable element, each of said jaw members having a pivot end and a tip end, pivotal mounting means located between the annular rings at opposite sides of the annular member to pivotably mount the pivot end of the jaws, said jaws being disposed to swing inwardly of the annular member to engage the opposite sides of said turnable element, and lever arms connected to said jaws a distance away from said pivotal mounting means intermediate said pivot and tip ends, whereby force applied to said lever arms in the plane of the swing of the jaws presses the jaws into engagement with-said turnable element.

5. A wrench to turn a turnable element ina recess, said wrench comprising an annular member disposed to encompas said turnable element, at least a first and a second jaw member for engaging the turnable element, pivotal mounting means located at opposite sides of the annular member to pivotably mount the jaws, said jaws being pivotably mounted at one end thereof and being disposed to swing inwardly of the annular member to engage the opposite sides of said turnable element, lever arms connected to said jaws a distance away from said pivotal mounting means, and a handle extension to engage said lever arms, said handle extension comprising at least a first and second upright extension arm each having interlocking surfaces to engage the lever arms connected to said at least a first and second jaw member respectively, and a connecting member t0 extend between the uppermost portion of the upright extension and form a gripping handle, said handle extension serving to transmit a remotely applied force to said lever arms in said recess, whereby force applied to said gripping handle is transmitted to said lever arms and presses the jaws into engagement with said turnable element.

6. A Wren-ch to turn a turnable element, said wrench comprising an annular member disposed to encompass said turnable element, at least a rst and a second jaw member for gripping said turnable element, each said jaw member having a pivot end and a tip end, pivotal mounting means at opposite sides of the annular member to pivotably mount the pivot end of the jaws, said jaws being disposed to swing inwardly of the annular member and engage opposite sides of said turnable element, and lever arms connected to said jaws a distance away from said pivotal mounting means intermediate said pivot and tip ends and extending outwardly from said annular members.

ROBERT C. KNECHT. 

